Sweet Paris

Sweet Paris A Love Affair with Parisian Pastries, Chocolates and Desserts by Michael Paul published byHardie Grant 2012. With thanks to the Publisher for my review copy.

Be still my beating heart! I’m a card carrying Francophile, well if there were such a thing I would be. I LOVE Paris, have done since the first time I went there 20 years ago. Since we had our little one we have only been back once, and it felt like I had reclaimed a bit of myself from ‘before children’.

We stayed at Euro Disney or Disneyland Paris as it is now known, but I was overjoyed when we went for a bus day trip into Paris itself. It was just as I remembered it, a huge bustling yet laid back city. Where life is being lived everywhere you look – and yet it is timeless too. I’m not saying Paris is perfect but it has left such an imprint on me that I need to live life knowing I will be going back again someday.

Now you are probably thinking what has this to do with Sweet Paris the book? Well, I’m coming to that bit! Michael Paul the author and photographer, is a very talented man. His pictures are fantastic, the scene setting ones in Paris, the pictures of sweet things from famous eating establishments and his recipes pictures too.

Chapters are: *The Chocolate Capital of the World* Paris – A Taste for Fashion* Patisserie and Salon de The Classics* Traditional Viennoiserie* Decadent Desserts* Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets* Confiserie – Favourite Parisian Confectionery* - there are also a couple of extras at the back - * How to Make Perfect Pastry the French Way* and * Bonnes Adresses a Paris*. There are more than 20 recipes, so not an A-Z of Paris desserts, but I think the recipes here have all been done really well – and they all have lovely photographs. Next on my list to try is Meringues Modernes, which are meringues filled with raspberry and white chocolate cream, French Style Chocolate Chip Brownies, Classic French Chocolate Eclairs and Traditional Madelines with Orange Glaze.

Picture from P116 posted here with permission from the publishers, thank you. I thought this page was just beautiful.

I’ve bought a number of English language French cookbooks on trips to Paris over the years, this one is a winner. One to buy if you are planning a trip, or if you are home again and would like a taste of Paris at home. Something to tide you over until next time…

Old Fashioned French Chocolat Chaud

When I first read this book I was overcome with a longing to go back to Paris, preferably now. Right this minute, if I leave now I thought, well I could be having hot chocolate and a Mont Blanc in Angelina’s by the afternoon! There is a picture of their Mont Blanc in its paper case on the Angelina’s plates. A Mont Blanc is a disc of meringue with whipped cream and piped sweetened chestnut puree covering the cream. There isn’t a recipe for this in the book, and I’m actually glad, for my waistline could not cope with being able to conjure up a batch of them at any time – and who would eat most of them (maybe all) that would be moi. So for my first recipe I made Michael’s Hot Chocolate. Oh my! It was just glorious, a perfect blend of sugar, chocolate milk and cream. Hats off to Michael he really gave me a taste of Paris in my own kitchen. Yum.

Next Up: Biscuit by Miranda Gore Browne

The Whole Hog Cookbook

The Whole Hog Cookbook Chops, Loin, Shoulder, Bacon and All That Good Stuff by Libbie Summers published by Rizzoli in 2011. Thanks to the publishers for my review copy.

Libbie Summers has loved pigs, pork, ham and bacon since she was a young child on her Grandparent’s pig (hog) farm. There she learned a great respect and appreciation for pigs that they raised. Professionally Libbie now works in the kitchens of Paula Deen (and indeed Paula herself writes a foreword for this book). She has a history of food and cooking though, and has many other clients too.

I love the artwork of the hog on the front of the book, and the photography by Chia Chong is also good – styled and pretty, but most definitely real.

We as a family like pork. If I want to get my little one to eat her vegetables adding a little bacon is a winner. Hubby loves pork too. Libbie gives an interesting and wide ranging selection of recipes in the book. There would be something to suit most people I think. Chapters are: *Loin,* Boston Shoulder,* Bacon,* Spare Ribs, *Picnic Shoulder, *Leg, *Offal* and finally *Slices.* This is an American cookbook, and thus some of the cuts are American by name, but it’s easy enough to work out the British equivalents on the web.

Some of the recipes I’ve marked to try are Apple Orchard Stew (with smoked sausages), Sweet Potato Pork Pie, Setsuko’s Ham Fried Rice, Quick Ham Bread with Two Colour Olive Butter, Rosemary Bacon Scones, Sweet Indian Pork Roti, a lovely sounding Clementine Prosecco Marmalade to go with Biscuits and Country Ham and finally there are also some sweet dishes like Bacon, Banana Cookies and Best Ever Family Reunion Chocolate Sheet Cake. I’m not quite ready to try bacon in sweet dishes…. Well not yet anyway!

I would have to say that I think you would know from the title of this book if you’d like it or not, I did and we really enjoyed the dish I tried from it.

Sweet and Sour Pork Loin

Libbie gives this recipe for chops, but says it’s also good with ribs and tenderloin. I love tender loin of pork, it is a bit more expensive, but there is no waste and it cooks like a dream. The sauce that accompanies it has sweetness from honey and sourness from balsamic vinegar. I really thought the sauce was fabulous, a great balance of flavours. I served this with cauliflower cheese, and the pork and sauce went with that very well too. A yummy supper treat indeed.

Next Up: Sweet Paris by Michael Paul

Quadrille’s New Voices in Food Series

Image courtesy of the publisher.
New Voices in Food is a series published by Quadrille to give some very passionate foodies a voice in the cookbook foray. I have all four out so far, I bought three myself and thank you to the publishers for my copy of Real Food From Near and Far. I tend to think of them as a set of books, so I thought it’d be good to review them altogether. Though that said they would each stand alone, as they are all very different. The first two here were published in 2010 and the last two in 2011. They all have their own individuality and personality.

Alice’s Cook Book by Alice Hart.
Nicely done, clean layout, and done in an easy going calm way. Some pictures but not one of every dish by any means. Chapters are *Breakfast and Brunch,* Picnics, *Camper Vans and Happy Camping,* Seasonal Sunday Lunch* Supper and Munch to Share* and *Party*. I like how the chapters are done, for example the Seasonal Sunday Lunch chapter has four Sunday lunch menus to cook. Even if I don’t cook a whole menu together I like to see what an author would cook in real time for their family. The whole book feels like food Alice would make for her friends and family.

Some of the recipes I have earmarked to try are Oven Hash Browns (with bacon and egg), Caramelised Roots with Feta and Lemon Dressing to go with Slow Roasted Redcurrant Lamb, Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cups (oh my!), Very Garlicky Roast Chicken with Barley (pea and Mint) pilaf, Cherry Tart with Almond Pastry and a delicious sounding Melting Chocolate Cake.

I’ve cooked three from this one: Pomegranate Jelly, Dahl Soup and Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry – no picture of the last one. All good, the jelly was my favourite, it you have this book do give it a go. Alice has a third cookbook out in May, her second with Quadrille, which I am very much anticipating and can’t wait to see! (between these she also had a vegetarian cook book out from a different publisher, which I plan to blog, so more about that one another time).

Real Food From Near and Far by Stevie Parle
Stevie’s background in food is as a chef. His food in the book is eclectic and far ranging. Not much in the way of British cooking, but some interesting food and cooking nonetheless. Stevie comes across as quite eccentric in his writing and choice of recipes – well I think so anyhow! Not that that is a criticism, I might be a little bit that way myself!!

There are some pictures here hidden in the front and back flaps, also some artful line drawings. I do tend to think of this one as a single person or couples cook book, simply because mostly the food is not something you could serve up to a child in a family dinner situation. There are not very many meat recipes here, plenty of veggie ones though. There are 12 chapters, one for each month of the year.

The recipe I chose to make here is one of the most pleasing in the book to me, a brown soda bread. I’m yeast free, so I’m always on the lookout for interesting soda breads, and this one is just a little out of the ordinary and well worth a go. Other recipes I like here are: Chocolate, Hazelnut, Brandy and Espresso Cake, Torta Della Nonna, Morel and Black Cumin Biriani and Klaicha an unusual but delicious sounding Iraqi pastry. Stevie has a second cook book out this year also from Quadrille.

Small Adventures in Cooking by James Ramsden

James is a food writer and blogger. He has a straightforward attitude to food, and if there is a message to take from his book I think it would be a warm hearted and encouraging ‘Give it a go!!’ Not every dish is pictured, but nicely done. Chapters are: *Va va Voyages *Exploring the Cheaper Cuts * Corner Shop Capers * Morning Missions *Formal Forays *Feeding the Flocks * Preserves for the Pantry * and * Surfing the Stumbling Blocks*.

The recipe I made from this one was chicken and Coconut Noodle Soup, which was bright, fresh and delicious. Others I would like to try are: Roast Butternut Squash with Tallegio, walnuts and Honey, Smoked Sausage with Apples and Cream, Kedgeree, Potato Cakes with Black Pudding and A fried Egg, Roast Cod with Warm Russian Salad and Aioli, Pea Pilaf with Spiced Crispy Shallots and Almonds, Chocolate and Fennel Brownies plus finally a fab sounding Pork Wellington.

Comfort and Spice Recipes for Modern Living by Niamh Sheilds

This is the last of the four already published. Niamh is a blogger. It is really well named, her recipes are indeed comforting with plenty of spices throughout the book. They also have a real modern day edge to them. For example we all know and love chicken pie, Niamh’s one is Chicken and Chorizo Pie with tomatoes and a spicing of paprika with puff pastry, so a nice little modern spin of a pie we love. A more feminine book with patterns and materials here and there, again not every dish is pictured. Chapters are: *Brunch * Speedy Suppers* Long Weekend* Sugar and Spice * and *Drinks*.

The recipe I tried was Halloumi and Pomegranate Salad. A warm fried halloumi cheese salad with onions, tomatoes pomegranate seeds and a punchy sweet / sour pomegranate molasses dressing that went with the cheese terrifically well. We had this as a light main course, but it would make a very nice first course too. Other recipes I’ve marked to try are: Lentil Soup with Harissa Croutons, Spiced Lamb Samosas, Beetroot Latkes and carrot and Beetroot Salad with Sesame Orange Dressing.

There is a fifth volume due out this year in May, it’s about wine - Drink Me How to Choose, taste and enjoy Wine.

Next Up: The Whole Hog

Winner of What’s for Dinner?

Well, 12 noon today has beeen and gone, so I'm pleased to announce the winner drawn at random of the What’s For Dinner by Fay Ripley giveaway is commenter number 4 Pipsqueak! Well done Pipsqueak and do get in touch with me and I’ll get the book sent to you.

Next Up: Quadrille’s New Voices in Food – the first four books.

What’s For Dinner? By Fay Ripley – Review and one copy to giveaway

I’ve been looking forward to this one for ages, and when I got my copy I was not disappointed! What’s For Dinner easy & delicious recipes for everyday cooking by Fay Ripley 2012 published by Collins. This is Fay’s second cookbook and follows on from the first, it’s aimed at the same audience, I think. I liked her first one, but actually I think this one is even better.

This book is aimed at people who cook the day in day out family meals for children and adults alike. I’m a reasonably adventurous cook, but when you have little people to feed this is not necessarily a winning combination!

I find Fay’s approach to feeding little ones really helpful, she is good at creating recipes that include new tastes but not in a way that is overwhelming to little palates. Big people like her recipes too. Some other recipes aimed at children that I’ve come across are just not what you want to eat as an adult, but Fay crosses the divide well, and manages to mostly please both sets.

The book is nicely done, well presented, recipes are easily followed plus there is a picture of each recipe. Chapters are: *Monday* Tuesday* Wednesday* Thursday* Friday* Weekend* Cornershop * and lastly *Sides*. There are hints and tips at the end of recipes, feeding little ones etc. Having the meals in ‘days’ means you can’t just go to a main meals section, you have to flip through. There was a time that would have annoyed me, but now I think this is ok, if forces me to look through again and maybe discover a little gem that I had previously missed.

Some of the recipes I’ve marked to try are: Quick Zingy Kebabs with Tzatziki, Hoisin Pork Fillet with Lemon and Ginger Noodles, Nutty Mango Rice Salad, Crispy Prawn Salad, Hot (tomato) Pesto Chicken Nuggets, Show Off Chicken Platter, Colly Stuffed Jackets with Sticky Snags, Falafel Burgers, Little Greek Almond Moons, Blueberry and Coconut Cake and Easy Bakewell Cake.

I have one copy to give away to a commenter on this post, selected at random. To be entered please leave a comment saying why you’d like to win this one. Closing date is 4th April at 12 mid-day 2012. Good luck! NOW CLOSED
Here are my first makes from the book.

No Fuss Smoked Salmon & Boursin Risotto
This recipe came about by serendipity. I went down to my local shop on the hunt for something for my own lunch, and I saw Scottish smoked salmon. Freedom Foods smoked salmon. Buy one get 2 free!! It would have been rude not to. J Of course this meant I then had extra salmon to think how to use up, I was looking through Fay’s book and immediately came across this risotto, which I had not even marked previously!
The cheese should be goats cheese, but I swapped it for Boursin instead. This is a cheats risotto simmered with the lid on the pan. I’ve tried a few oven baked risottos before, but wasn’t very pleased with the outcomes, they were usually ok, but not wows. This one was moist and creamy with the cheese, delicious already, but more so for us adults with the fish and dill. What I ended up with was a fast supper so good I could hardly believe it! My little one would not eat smoked salmon, but before I stirred in the fish and dill I removed her bowl and added in some bits I know she would like. Smiles all round.

Pea and Bacon Soup
Pea, bacon and mint soup with crispy oven baked croutons. Yum! I did the croutons with soda bread, which for a yeast-free-er like me was a real bonus.

Cottage Pie
Different from the one I normally make as it has a tin of tomatoes in it and also parsnips along with potatoes in the mash. It was good.

Italian Chicken Bake
Chicken baked with the flavours of pizza. I served this with garlic bread, I think new potatoes would go as well, and I’ll do this next time, especially since I can’t have garlic bread.

All in One “Paella”
Not quite paella as I know it, but a nice prawn rice dish for supper.

Green Macaroni in Minutes
A vegetarian macaroni with leeks and spinach added in. We adults liked it and little one was very, very suspicious of the greenery in it, but did eat it. J The recipe link is here.

Sweet Sticky Chicken
An Asian inspired chicken that baked to sticky deliciousness. A serious hit in my house! My little one at this, and hubby before he’d even finished his first plate was keen to see if there was more, who could blame him though, it was a real treat.
Served with Egg Fried Rice
Egg Fried Rice is a regular on my table, this one is a prefect side.

Rustic Italian Savoury Scone
Loved this one, a scone bread, quick to make and flavoured with pesto, olives and mozzarella, yum!

Nutty Nuggets of Deliciousness
Short crumbly buttery, nutty biscuits sandwiched with Nutella. Addictive! Recipe link here.

Festive Pig in a Bun

I call these porkie patties. Sausage meat with dried cranberries and pine nuts added into them. Some of us had them in buns and some not. Amazing with a bit of blue cheese.

Served with Coleslaw

I served them with Fay’s coleslaw, which was a good one. The patties and coleslaw are the ones pictured on the cover of the book.

Next Up: Winner of Fay’s book

Next Up after that: Quadrille’s New Voices in Food – the first four books.

Cake Slice Baker March 2012 – individual Warm Chocolate Cakes

Well, it is the 20th of the month – so Cake Slice Baker time! This month we are again baking from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle published by John Wiley and Sons 2006. Our recipe is for individual warm chocolate cakes from the Flourless Cakes chapter.

I love a molten chocolate or lava pudding, and have made a number of them before. This one was a little different to others I’ve tried in that it has no flour or ground nuts to bind it and it is essentially a baked chocolate mousse. It also varies in that the pots are buttered and lined with granulated sugar.

They were easy to put together, and the granulated sugar lining made the outside of the cakes a little crunchy. I made this recipe two times, the first I baked them for 15 minutes and there is just a chocolate gungy bit in the middle. Second time I doubled the sugar and baked for 10 minutes, this was very molten, but the outside was not baked enough – I was looking for a result like this one I’ve made before. I’ll try 12 minutes next time and I’m hoping for perfection!! They were relatively light and deliciously chocolate-y, but did need a bit more sugar for us.

I like my molten chocolate cakes with raspberries and a teensy dribble of cream, but of course you can have them however you like J To see how my fellow Cake Slice Bakers got on, do have a look at the blogroll here, I’m just off to do so.

Next Up: What’s For Dinner? by Fay Ripley, review, first makes and one copy to give away.

Even More Nigella Kitchen…

Well, here I am again with another Nigella post. This instalment comes from Kitchen Recipes from the Heart of The Home by Nigella Lawson 2010 published by Chatto and Windus. This is my sixth post from this book, for any new readers click on the Nigella Kitchen line at the bottom of this post or in the ‘Books Cooked from So Far’ on the right hand side to see the previous ones.

I’m not quite finished with trying new recipes from this book, but my mind can’t help wondering onto the new one Nigella is currently working on. It’s to be an Italian one called ‘Nigellissima, Italian Express’ - due out this year, so I’ll look forward to that. In the meantime though here are my latest makes from Kitchen – a bumper helping!

Pork and Apple Hotpot

I’ve made this one a few times now, the first time a lot of the lovely sauce evaporated away, but I’ve been careful since. Pork, bacon, apples and light spicing – think mixed spice rather than curry spice. It’s a lovely warming and comforting oven bound hotpot.

Lemon Polenta Cake

I’m not sure if I would have made this one, but when round at my friend Anna’s one night she produced this fabulous cake for pudding and served it with berries and cream. It was gorgeous, and so I came to make it myself too. Gluten free as well.

Smoked Haddock My Mother’s Way

This was ok, I did bake it for the 10 minutes suggested but my yolk became hard, which was a shame. Might try it again one day.

Coconut and Cherry Banana Bread

I liked this one, not a looker as so many loaf cakes are not, but good spread with butter.

Guinness Gingerbread and Scarlet Plums

A dark delicious gingerbread that gets more moist and sticky if baked a few days before needed. Lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. Also a great hearty pudding accompanied by the scarlet plums. They are plums poached with sugar, cinnamon and cranberry juice, loved both these recipes, together or separately.

Minestrone

I think of this as green minestrone, as there is no tomato in it. I’ve made this one so many times, and have deviated from it as well. It is most definitely at its best with a parmesan rind simmered in with it, then removed, but it is worth making anyhow. There is a tablespoon of wine to add in at the end if you like, so little peoples soup can be dished up first, than the wine added.

Scallops and Thai-scented Pea Puree

Made this for hubby one night, we both liked it, and I was especially taken by what a little Thai Green curry paste did for the pea puree. Again not a looker - but good. We needed pudding after this.

Speedy Seafood Supper

Light and easy, I made this with prawns instead of calamari. Spot of tabasco would be nice too.

Pasta alla Genovese

I liked this one, a good pasta and pesto, wasn’t convinced by the need for the potatoes here, even though it is traditional. Hubbs and little one apparently don’t like pasta and pesto!! Now I know too J

Ed’s Mother’s Meatloaf and BBQ Gravy

I’ve made this one a few times as well. Mine is always crumbly when hot, but is slices well cold and makes a fabulous lunch the next day too. The gravy is good too, though not essential to the yummy meatloaf.

Ham Hocks

I used the smoked ham suggested in the recipe, and they were very smoke-y, little one loved this. I’m not so sure, I’m glad I tried it, but I’ll stick to hams I think!

South Indian Vegetable Curry

This one was good, get your 5 a day in one go and light too!

Quick Brownies

I really didn’t like this one, it just wasn’t what I want and expect a brownie to be.

Japanese Prawns

A warm prawn salad flavoured with Sake and wasabi. I don’t have Sake so I use sherry therefore mine are not quite Japanese. It doesn’t really matter though these are so good, light and flavoursome yum! I’ve made this one loads too, I call them ‘lunch prawns’.

Frangelico Tiramisu

I made half the quantity of this just for us (fortunately) it was way too boozey for our tastes. I have a friend who made it too, and she said the same. If you do make it, I’d say at least halve the liqueur.

Lemony Salmon with Cherry Tomato Couscous

The salmon was great and I’d make it again, wasn’t so taken with the couscous though. To be fair though couscous isn’t my favourite starch.

Brownie Bowls

These are good, I like them just cooled from the oven. You do need to buy a special tin for them, but they make for a cute presentation: your own little edible bowl. Though actually I find them cute to look at even empty. Yummy filled with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce.

Next Up: Fay Ripley’s What’s For Dinner?